I lost my first chicken today

[jojo54]

I have been having some trouble with my chickens flying over the fence lately and figured it would be just a matter of time until one flew in one of the two yards around us that have dogs. Well a dog got one of my girls today but IN OUR OWN YARD!!! It dug under the fence at the back and got one of the girls. I didn't even notice as I was in the house making a big pot of homemade spaghetti sauce when someone knocked on the front door. It was the neighbour saying one of her dogs was in our yard. We went out and the dog was chewing on my girl. She wasn't dead but couldn't move or make a sound. I couldn't kill her (I'm new to this and it just shook me up). The neighbour gave the chicken to her husband on the other side of the fence to put out of its misery. She kept apologizing and offering to pay for the chicken. I said not too worry about it but was just numb. I guess this was part of keeping chickens that I think about too much. I really don't think I could kill a chicken but don't know what do to if it happens again. My husband works out of town so is not here alot. I just needed to sound off. Poor girl.

 

[canada-goose]

 

[Emzyyy]

Its hard, I'm sorry about your girl.

 

[Kittymomma]

Sorry about your girl. At least your neighbor seems willing to take responsibility. The dog will dig back under the fence now that it knows their are cool squeaky toys to play with on your side. Since the neighbor seems to be a good one suggest to her that she puts a 2' strip of chicken wire on the ground on her side. It "should" keep the dog from digging and the grass will grow over it by next summer so it won't even be an eye sore for them and your chickies will be safer. There are some good threads about sprinkling cayenne pepper around the fencline to discourage dogs from digging as well. Again, I'm sorry that you lost one.

 

[numamahen]

so sorry to hear about your girl.... we too actually lost one. But in our case really lost it. Don't know where it went, my daughter is great at telling me when they are out but not always so great about going and getting them back in our fencing!! So Halloween night, she said they were out & most often they sneak back in. Shutting up the coop - I only counted 23 rather than 24 (we had 25 for a long while but then an out break of cocci got one of them). I went through the yard, the neighbors bush line, the garbage can in the garage they lay in (full of timothy hay & a nice nest) looked in the nooks and crannies of the back garage since they hang out in there but nothing. I know there has been a hawk & she could have also wondered over to the neighbors yard and who knows if their boys would stop the dog from getting them or tell me about it (that dog also ended up in my yard one chasing the girls but other neighbors & owner stopped her)!! So I kept looking for a couple of days more but she is just gone. Haven't even figured out which one since we have all the same variety. It made me sad tho' and paranoid that others would disappear. I too would have a hard time having to cull, especially the eggers! Meaties - I had sent away. So my heart is with you!

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
Any possibility that she went broody? One of my BR's went missing then a few days later I thought I saw her, but couldn't be sure (have other br's) then a few days after that I spotted her and followed her back to her nest.